Someone Has Been Trying to Foreclose on Joseph Lent's Boca Raton Home FOR FIVE YEARS!!!

[Moe Bedard]

In my world. A homeowner that fights their lender for 5 years, is a success story in my book. Maybe if we united and there were 1,000-10,000-100,000 homeowners doing the same thing that Mr. Lentz and Mr. Davet did in Ohio, then maybe lenders would start really assisting homeowners.


If car dealers can keep track of titles, banks can track promissory notes, Joseph Lents says.

Somebody has been trying to foreclose on Joseph Lents’ Boca Raton home for five years. So far, they have been unsuccessful because he has legally fought them every step of the way.

The original lender, or the assignee, seems unable to produce the promissory note and prove it has the right to foreclose. In an era when Wall Street has sliced and diced mortgages to package them as securities, that could turn into a broader issue.

“I probably have been to the Palm Beach County courthouse 100 times or more over the last five years, just to observe,” Lents said. “In 99 percent of the residential foreclosure cases, plaintiffs are asking the court to accept a promissory note copy as the original because it is presumed lost.”

Resistance doesn’t come cheap. Lents has paid more than $120,000 in legal fees and costs so far to save his 5-acre, $2.5 million home.

read the rest of the South Florida Business article

[Brian K.]

This guy is definitely winning. Anyone know that the payment is on 2.5 mil? Although the post implies that he defending solely on a standing defense, I would like to know what else he has plead as a defense. Do you have a case number for him?

[Florida]

Brian -

Here is the search engine for public records at Palm Beach County Courts. Type Lents Joseph into the name space. The images of the WaMu case documents are there. It appears Mr Lents is no virgin in the PBC civil court system.

http://http://oris.co.palm-beach.fl.us/or_web1/or_sch_1.asp

[svanca]

Interesting. Any case like this in California?

[riskey58]

This is good to know. I think more people should fight. It is better then giving up. Way to go.

[brokemama]

FYI, Lents purchased his home (we live 10 minutes away) in 1998 for 350K; subsequently mortgaged it for 750K and then 950K. He stopped making payments in 2002. He's still in the court systems fighting the foreclosure. I do not lump him into most of the people out there, myself included, who are truly struggling and want to stay in our homes, not for free as he is doing, but who are either current and struggling, or behind a few months and struggling. Not expecting a free ride, the ability to stay in a very expensive home without paying the mortgage. It's just plain and simple WRONG. Even IF the bank lost the original note. What about loan modification, short sale, SOME payment. Not to mention he has not paid real estate taxes. Not a hero in my book by any stretch.

[MichelleLynn]

I just assumed he was making payments into some kind of escrow account, I do think responsibility for the loan should be taken, BUT I also believe that the system does need to be rattled this way and if this is a means to that end then I support and encourage that! I would not have the nerves to keep on going with it!!

[brokemama]

I think the system will need more rattling from HONEST homeowners who are doing their best with what they have, not trying to avoid paying a dime for their home. He's got the money; just prefers to pay it to attorneys to fight for him to keep the home free and clear. I have a problem with that, but that's just my opinion.

[LMASON]

you know, I don't think I could live with that stress on me day after month after year. That is crazy. Maybe I'm speaking from a mothers standpoint because security is the word of the day. I know how bad I feel when I'm late with my rent!! I cannot imagine ripping off the system like that. This man clearly has no morales.

[brokemama]

You are so right, Lmason. He has no morals and is not representative of the people on this forum who are really trying to do the right thing and just need some help. He's actually a crook who is living in a very upscale neighborhood and has figured out how to work the system to allow himself to live there for free. Shame on him!